Potato-digger



(No Model.) 4 a Sheets-finest -1.

T. N. NICHOLSON.

POTATO BIGGER TlwlmsM Nichols 4w Patented Apr. 4, 1893'.

(No Modem a Sheets-Sheet 2. T. N. NICHOLSON. POTATO DIGGER Patented Apr '4 1893.

QR Ev a .NQLO k \m NQ .Tfiamas Nicholson bis Jlflz-Qzys,

Rrs P'fcns co.. PHOTO-LITMO wuumcmn. n. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. NINIGHOLSONQ POTATO BIGGER.

No. 494,684. Patnted Apr. 4, 1893..

W ifgzsses I Izyhgi'r I TomasM lwdwls 'n/ PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS N. NICHOLSON, OF EMBARRAS, WISCONSIN.

POTATO- DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,684, dated April 4, 1893.

Application filed April 27, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS N. NICHOLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Embarras, in the county of Waupaca and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful PotatoDigger, of which thefollowingisaspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in potato-diggers, of that class which raise the potatoes from the ground, shake the dirt from the same, tear off the tops, and deliver the potatoes either back upon the ground or into waiting receptacles.

The objects and advantages of my invention, together with the novel features thereof, will hereinafter appear and be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to-the drawings:Figure l is a side elevation of a potato-digging machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a reverse side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal central section. Fig. 4

is a plan view. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the shovel. Figs. 6 and '7 are horizontal sections of certain mechanisms hereinafter particularly. referred to. I Fig. 8 is a detail in perspective of one of the transverse carriers.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the transverse axle of the machine, which is journaled in bearings 2,10- cated upon the under side of a pair of inclined side-beams 3. The axle has mounted loosely on its ends ground-wheels 4, and the same are provided at their inner sides with pawl-and-ratchet mechanisms, 5, whereby as the machine moves forward the pawls engagin g with the ratch ets revolve the axle, and on the other hand when the machine is backed the pawls pass over the ratchets without engaging them, the axle remains stationary and the mechanism hereinafterdescribed and operated thereby, remains inactive. Adjacent to one of the ground-wheels, in this instance that at the right side of the machine, a master-gear 6 is located, on the axle, and adapted to move therewith. A pair of side-bars 7 loosely connect at their rear ends with the axle, and embrace the inclined beams 3 and extend beyond the same, where they are the front cross-bar 8.

united by a transverse bar 8. To the corners Serial No. 430,821. (No model.)

to the connecting-bar 8, and between these is clamped the usual draft-pole.

A pair of standards 16 is mounted upon the I side-bars 7, a slight distance in rear and above the lower ends of the side-beams 3; and upon the upper ends of these posts or standards, bearings 17 are mounted, in which is jour:

naled a transverse rock-shaft 18. This rockshaft has a pair of rock-arms 19, extending forwardly therefrom, and from the same'depend connecting-rods 20 the lower ends of which connect with the lower ends of the opposite side-beams 3, whereby by a rocking of the shaftthe inclined side-beams will be raised and lowered together with any mechanism or devices they carry. A lever for operating the shaft, and designated as 21, rises from the same near oneend, and is within convenient grasp of a person mounted upon the drivers seat, 22, supported upon a standard bolted to This lever has secured to it a reciprocating looking-pawl, 23, and the same engages with the teeth of a lockingstandard 24, mounted upon the adjacent post or standard 16. -.By this means the beams 3 may be locked.

Secured rigidly between the beams 3 at the lower ends of the same, and extending substantially horizontal therefrom, is a shovel 25, the opposite sides of which form vertical walls bolted to the beams, and the bottom of which has its front edge concaved or cut away, as shown at 26. The rear edge of the shovel is provided with a series of rearwardly and upwardly inclined prongs or tines 27.

In bearings 28 and 29, located upon the under sides of the beams 3, are journaled upper and lower shafts 30 and 31 respectively. The upper shaft extends beyond its bearing at the right side of the machine, and is provided with a cam-wheel 32, and a gear-Wheel 33, the latter being engaged with and driven by the master-gear 6. In this manner motion is communicated to the shaft 30,and through it to sprocket-wheels 34, mounted between its bearings and between the beams 3. Over these sprocket-wheels pass sprocket-chains 35, and said chains also pass over a pair of lower plain rollers 36, mounted upon the shaft 31, immediately in rear of the inclined tines 27 of the shovel. At intervals these chains 35 are connected by cross-bars 37, so that the combined chains and bars constitute an endless belt or carrier. A pair of standards 38 is located upon the upper edges of the beams 3, and is provided with bearings 39, directly above the shaft 30. In these bearings a transverse shaft 40 is journaled,and the same carries a pair of sprocket-wheels 41.

In a pair of bearings 42, located at the front upper corners of the beams'3', a' transverse shaft 43 is mounted, and the same c'a'r-' ri es a; pair of sprocket-Wheels The pair of sprocket wheels, 44 connected to the sprocket-wheels 41, by which they are operated by endless sprocketchains 45,and these are connected by transverse bars 46; each of which is provided with a series of teeth 47, arranged close together and adapted to depend fror'i 'the underside of the 'th us constituted endless carrier toward the lower carrier, iii rear of the shovel. The shaft 40 is extended at the left side of the ina chine and is provided beyond its bearing witha spreck et-wheel 48, which is connected by a sprocketchain 49, with a small sprocket-wheel 50, located upon the axle 1 at the left side of the machine. Between the two endlesscarriers described, transverse bar 51 connects the beams 3, and secured totherear edge of this bar, andex tending upwardly above and inclined in front of the same, is a series of tines or fingers 52.

located between the beams 1 a short distance in rear of the lower endless carrier, and the tines 52, is an inclined board or table 53. Belowx' the same and depending from the under sides of the beams 3, is a pair of standards 54. A transverse shaft 55 is journaled in these standards, and carries a pair of sprocketwheels 56. Bearings 57 are formed above the table or board 53, upon the upper sides of the beams 3, and a transverse shaft 58 is jdnrnaled therein. This shaft carriesa pair of sprocket wheels 59, and sprocketchains 60 connectthe wheels 59 with the wheels 56'. Triangular plates Glare arranged in transverse pairs upon the pair of chains 60, and these plates are connected at their straight or under edges or in other words at two of their edges with series of transverse bars 62, so that they form a series of transverse pockets. Astnbsha'ft 63 projects from the beam 3 at the right side of the machine, and carries a sprocket-wheel 64 and a small gear-wheel 65, the latter engaging with and being driven by the master-gear 6 of the axle. The two opposite ends of the shaft 39 are extended beyond their bearings 57, and are provided with sprocket-wheels, that at the right end being designated as 66 and that at the left as 67. The sprocket-wheel at the right end of the shaft is connected by a sprocket-belt 68 with the small sprocket wheel 64 of the stub-shaft 63, and thus motion is communicated to this inclined elevator.

Standards 70 rise from the beams 3 immediately above the shaft 58, and in the upper ends thereof bearing-boxes 71 are located. Corresponding bearings 72 are formed in the beams 3, and in the upper bearings is journaled a transverse shaft 73 while in the lower bearings is journaled a transverse shaft 74. The shaft 73 is extended at the left side of the machine, and is there provided with asprocket-pulley 75, which through the medium of a chain 76 is operated by the sprocket-wheel 67 before mentioned. Each of the shafts 73 and 74-, earry spre'cket-wheels 7 7, and these are connected by endless sproc'ke't-chains 78. At intervals the chains are connected by cross-bars 79, and from these project teeth 80, disposed toward the chains 60" of the inclined elevator 01" carrier below A pair of bars 81 projects from the rear ends of the beams 3,3)t'1d from these hang pivoted suspension straps 82; Correspondin'g straps 83 are pivotally connected to and depend from the inner sides of the beams 3; in rear of the straps S2, and connected to the lower ends of these series of straps, is a shaking screen-frame 34. s

Pairs of hangers 85 are bolted to the outer sides of the'beams 3, near the upper ends; and the sa e sll porta platform so, This platform is for the accommodation of the attendaiit, who ties the bags as they become filled with potatoes, and drops them upon the ground 5 or into any wagon or other receptacle following thereafter. A paii' of horizontal arms 87 is bolted to the undersides at the rear ends of the beams; and these arms are connected at their rear extremities bya crossbar 88 arranged upon the upper sides of the arms, andin rear of the shaking scre'en84, and are further connected slightly in advance of the rear end of said screen, by a cross-bar 89, bolted to the under sides of the arms. Both of these bars 38 and 89 have projecting from their upper edges studs or pins 90 and with these is designed to be engaged the wall surrounding the mouth of a potato-sack or bag; whereby the mouth is held open in an inclined position to receive the potatoes asthey are shaken or fed over the rear end of the screen by the vibrations of the latter.

In a beafihgbracket 91, located opposite an opening formed in the left side-beam 3, there is pivoted a bell-cranked or elbow lever 92, the inner end of which extends through the opening in the beam, is slotted as at 93 and engages loosely with a pin 94 depending from the front end of the shaking-screen. The opposite or outer end of the bell-cranked lever, after passing through a slotted dragbracket 95, terminates in an upwardly-bent bearing-end 96, upon which an anti-friction roller 97 is journaled- This anti friction roller travels in aspiral or cam-slot 98, formed in a cam-pulley 99, the latter being located at the left side of the machine upon the extended end of the transverse shaft 63. By this means, the shaft receiving motion from the master-gear in a manner that will be obvious, the shaking-screen 84 is laterally vibrated or agitated, and being slightly inclined, shakes the dirt from the potatoes and gradually feeds them over its rear edge.

Supported upon the rear end of the sidebeams 3 above the screen 84 and resting at its upper end against the posts or standards 70, is an inclined delivery-table or board 100, which is located directly in rear of the shaft 73, and the endless apron or carrier thereof. This board is provided with a diagonal deflecting cleat lOl upon its upper side, so that as the potato-tops or vines are delivered upon the board 100 from the carrier in front thereof, they are deflected by the cleat to one side and dropped over the side of the machine.

In operation, the driver first adjusts the pivoted frame, of which the side-beams 3 are component parts, and thus lowers the shovel into operative position, whereby it is capable of penetrating a sufficient depth into the ground to take under the roots of the potato. As the machine is drawn along, the potato and its tops or vines are bodily elevated from the soil, and as they pass back of the shovel over the fingers or tines 27, they being inclined somewhat at an angle to the shovel, serve to disintegrate and loosen the adhering soil, so that the major portion of the same becoming loosened drops through the tines to the ground. At this point the potatoes and their vines are caught by the transverse bars 37 of the endless carrier of which they form a part, and aided by the depending teeth 47, of the endless carrier above, are carried up the same to the top gathering or separating prongs or tines 52, into which the tops or vines are gathered and by means of which they are separated from the potatoes. The teeth 47 just mentioned, conduct the vines or tops to the lower end of the elevator or carrier,immediately in rear thereof, where they are caught by the teeth of the cross-bars 79, and from thence by means of the said carrier are delivered to the delivery-board or table 100, where they are disposedof in the manner before mentioned. When the potatoes and tops are separated, the potatoes themselves pursue a somewhat different course. They are caught by the series of transverse pockets formed on the carrier 60, and are elevated by them to the point of delivery upon the screen 84. During all this travel, more or less agitation and tumbling of the potatoes takes place, and added to their frictional contact the soil has been pretty well loosened and removed. From the pockets the potatoes pass to the shaking-screen, where they are finally agitated and gradually delivered into the open bag supported under the rear end of the same, in the manner heretofore described. From this it will be seen that the potatoes are dug, their tops removed, separated and delivered at one side of the machine, the potatoes cleaned and finally delivered into waiting bags, all in one continuous operation.

If desired, I may omit all mechanism described as being in rear of the top-separating tines; and simply employ a shaking-screen 102, which is supported below the axle by a series of resilient hangers or suspensionstraps 103. In abracket 104, located upon the side-beam 3 a vibrating lever 105 is pivoted, the rear end of the lever being connected with the screen 102 and the front end of said lever terminating in the cam-groove of the camwheel 32. With such an arrangement,it will be seen that the potatoes will be delivered immediately after their removal from the ground, back upon the top of the ground or surface where they may be subsequently gathered. I do not however prefer such construction, but secure a more effieient cleaning and preparation of the potatoes for the market by the arrangement first described.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the axle, the ground-wheels, the inclined side-beams and the shovel at the lower ends of the beams, of the lower carrier arranged in rear of the shovel, means for operating the same, an upper carrier comprising cross-cleats having depending teeth, a crossbar located between the upper ends of the two carriers, and a series of tines extending from the rear edge of the cross-bar, rearwardly above and forwardly from the cross-bar, and means for operating the upper carrier, sub stantially as specified.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the opposite side-beams, the axle, the wheels, the shovel at the lower ends of the beams, of the upper and lower carriers, the former comprising cross-bars having depending teeth, means for operating the carriers, an intermediate separator comprising a series of tines declining forwardly between the carriers, a shaking-screen in rear of the lower carrier, means for operating the screen, and top-delivery-mechanism located in rear of the tines, substantially as specified.

3. In a machine of the class described, the

, combination with the opposite side-beams, the

axle, the ground-wheels, and the shovel at the lower end of the side-beams, of the upper and lower carriers in rear of the shovel, the intermediate top-separating device between the upper ends of the two carriers, a second pair of inclined carriers arranged one above the other, a shaking-screen and means for operating the same in rear of the lower carrier of the second pair, and a delivery-table located in rear of the upper carrier of the second pair, said table being provided with a diagonal deflecting cleat for discharging the tops at one side of the machine, substantially as specified.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the axle, Wheels and side beams, and the digging and elevating devices, of an inclined board located at the upper end of the elevating device, and provided upon its front face with a diagonal deflecting cleat mounted on the upper side of the board, and a shaking-screen below the same adapted to receive potatoes from the elevating mechanism and means for operating the screen, substantially as specified.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the axle, wheels, side-beams, shovel and system of elevating mechanism, of the suspension-straps located at the rear ends of the beams, the screen-frame supported by the straps and provided with a depending pin, the bearing-bracket located over an open 3 the shaft, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS N. NICHOLSON.

Witnesses:

ROBERT SMITH, J. G. J AECKEL. 

